The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-05-05
Bob IugersOll Arraigned,

WASHINGTON, APRIL 19.-General
George Sheridan delivered his lee
ture "a Modern Pagan" Sunday
evening at the New National Thea
ter before large audience contro
verting the anti-religious views of
Colonel Robert G.. Ingersoll The
lecturer was introduced by Hon. |
John Sherman and among the N any
prominent people present were Sen
ator Beck, ex Congressman Mitch
ell Of Connecticut, number Of
the bar and many ladies.
The lecture abounded in passa
yes of logical eloquence, exquisite
bits of pathos and humor, and vas
received with hearty demonstra-
tons Of approval. General Sheri-
dan said it was not his purpose to
after defense Of christian religion;
it was to show the evil effects of the
course adopted by Col. Ingersoll,
whom be said he knew to be per
sonally one of the most worthy and
able of .men--a good son, faithful
husband, an afIectionate father and
a grand patriot-hut when he APP
proaches the subject of religion the
mantle of his genial personality
falls frOmhis shoulders, his iudg-
ment is warped and he becomes at
once the loudest of boosters aud
the most unfair Of disputants. No
man has ever assaulted the christian
religion with more eloquence, less
skill, worse logic, so much conceit,
and so little learning.
The lecturer then charged Ingcr-
soil with declining to meet men
competent to discuss the question
with him. In feet he never met but
one really able mantle late Judge
Jerre Black--and then the instant
he felt the steel ran from the field.
In discussing the questions OF
1 christianity Ingersoll creates spu-
riOus issues; he utterly ignores the
work of christianity; he neither
compartments nor appreciates the
excellence and magnitude of the
achievements among US of the sys
ten he so fippantly assails.
Relative to God, his ways and
works, Colonel Ingersoli manifests
curiositp that is as senseless as il
is idle, impertinent and disrespect
tnl. He says he doesn't understand
God, and therefore he doesn't be
Iieve there is one. He doesn't IN
derstand the affinity of soul fol-
soul, still the stars look down or
, fair maidens listening to the ea-
ger voice of youth as it whisper;
The old, old story that has bright
ened all the ages. And millions o
homes in our great land to night
1 are Joyous with the songs Of those
= whose souls are held close togeLhe
by the invisible cords since TIN
. birth Of time have been woven il
y the loom of love. Ingersoll SHOULD
consider the effect Of his attacks o.
religion before giving them publici
W, and he has no right to parad
Q his vagrant fsncies before the com
+ munity as u code of morals. Is.
j 5imating his philosophy by the spir
it that characterizes his utterances
1t is both shallow and unkind. II
/, is mad clear through. Mad iron
d The polished top of his intellectua
dome to the soles Of his infdel fee
with christians and christianity
r He has no right to destroy a mut
: hut unless he can give its Occu
/, pant a better or equally good plac
to live in; no right to strike the Gu
Of water from the thirsty man
. hand in the desert because it 1
J muddy, unless he can give pureT
= Mr.. Ingersoll is a moral and intel
= lectual anarchist.
His peroration was an outburs
Of thrilling eloquence, describ.
ing the anarchical ten5en-
eies of inidelity. He portraye,
Colonel Ingersoll as the assaiIant o
the sublimest teachings OF philoso
ply, of poetry and of science, 0
Il ancient and OF modern times with
t out Offering a substitute or bette
{ thing. IngersolI, he said, was EN-
, pIoying his genius, and oratory Il
eXtinguishing The truest source 0
human happiness and subyertip}
- the very basis of civilization itsell